Dog-racing apparatus



t A. v. wlLsoN ET A1.

DOQ RACING APPARATUS med March 2a, 1927 2s 'zo @M v. I ,Tur www?,

Patented oct. 25, 1927.

[UNITED STATES n i1,647,67 PATENT ori-*1013.*

ALBERT v.`vWILs`oN AND HAROLDl F, WILSON, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DOG-RACING .ArrARATs.v

Applicatmn filed March 28, 1927. serialk No. 173,896.w l

This invention relates to a mechanical dog racing apparatus. Such an apparatus usually embodies a track along which acarriage or car is driven by means lof a motor. This carriage supportsY a lure for the dogs which may be in thevfo-rmof a rabbit. The rabbit is propelled at a-high speed and cannot be overtaken by the dogs. The -pack of dogs race along the track after. the rabbit and thisaffords 'amusement to the spectators as well as an opportunity to bet on lthe result of therace of the dogs. f

VAs usually constructed, the track is a cumbersome construction involving .the use of two rails along which a car is driven. This car is provided with a projecting arm which carries the rabbit in plain view ofthe dogs andnear the ground. The construction is a permanent one and it cannot be usedin connection f with ordinary race tracks for horses because its removal entails too much expense. The general object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind in which a track ofl simple construction 1s provided which will enablel` the rabbit or lure for the dogs to be carried and propelled along l:at a high speed, and at the same time -to construct theapparatus in such a way as to-facilitate its removal from the race course. Hence, the apparatus can be used on an ordinary race course and removed when it is not wanted, leaving no obstructions on the course.. ,y U A j A. further object of the inventionis to provide simple means for operating the. me-

chanical rabbit so as'move it up. and down' from time to ltime as it speeds along the track, thereby simulating jumping ofa live rabbit., x f n Further objects of the invent-ion will appear hereinafter. f f

The invention consistsof the novel parts and combinations of parts `tobe described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an eiiici-ent dog racing apparatus.

A preferred embodimenty ofthe invention is described in `the following specification, while the broad lscope ofv the inventionis pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: v

Figureris a plan. of a race course for Adogs, embodying the invention,the same being broken away at its middle portion. In thisview' the carriage and apparatus associated with lit are shown upon a greatly yenlarged scale with respect to the race track.

' Figure Qis avertical cross section taken about on the line 22, Figure 1,2upon an enlargedscale and illustrating details ofthe apparatus. ,Y 5

Figure is aplan of the apparatus showing a short portion of the trackl brokenzaway. l Figure 4 is a side elevation of the apparatusshowing a portion'of the track as viewed from the inner side, vthat is to say,rtheside oppositeto' the locationy ofthe rabbit; this view diagrammatically illustrates the .wiring to Vthepower railk which supplies. electric currentto. the motor. c 1 Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the opposite side ofv the carriage and the opposite side of the fence.4

, In practicing the invention,y we provideva track'l which is in theform ofa fence provided with a plurality of posts such as the post 2, and constructed so that the entire fencev can-.bereadily taken apart and removed. For this purpose, each post is provided with a power rail 3 which is mortised into a Anotch or recess 4 on the side'of `eachpost so `that`the outerside of the rail 3 is flush with the side of the post. A similar rail 5ris mounted vin a similar manner on the same side of the post, but this rail Aoperates as a traction rail, being provided with an .angle or channel 6 which may be attached to its outer face and along which runs a wheelf which drives av carriage 8 along the track. This carriage may be of any suitable construction.,` As illustrated, 'it isofa skeleton form built up of metal bars, the'upper portion of the Acarriage being provided--with two wheels 9 whichl run along on a top railr lO'which extends along the upper side of the fence and completes.r the track. They carriage supports a motor ll A which is preferably an electric motor The Ymotor 11 is preferably supported on thev side ofthe track opposite to the lure or rabbit 12, and `for this purpose,ithe carriage includes a bracket-.13 which extends .down on the inner side of the fence or track. This bracket supports the drivingwheel -7 in position to enable it to run on the face y bolts 31.

preferably disposed near the ground and operates as a guide for a roller 1G carried on the lower end of a bracket 17 which forms the part of the carriage which is disposed on the outer side of the tence. This roller 16 is preferably guided along an iron guide bar 18 which may be of angle iron or channel form, and which forms a part of the guide rail 15. It desired the posts 2 may be planted directly in the earth and removed when the apparatus is not wanted, but if desired, the lower ends ot the posts may be stepped in small concrete piers 19 having sockets 2O on their upper sides toit the square form of the posts. l

The motor 11 is preferably an -electric motorv and is connected by any Vsuitable means, such as bevel gears'21, with the wheel 7 to drive the wheel. Any suitable electric current may be used for driving the motor. As illustrated in Figure et, this current is supposed to be a S-phase current involving the use of two conductor bars 22 extending along the power rail 3 and insulated from it. In addition to this, a return conductor bar 23 is provided which extends along the power rail 3. These three contact rails are in contact with insulated brushes 2a which are Supported in the carriage and which are incontact with their corresponding bars, see Figure 2. @Wires 25 connect these brushes with the terminals o the motor 11.

Means are provided for simulating the jumping of a live rabbit. This makes the rabbit seem natural to the dogs and increases ytheir excitement during the race. Any'suitable means may be provided for this purpose. In the present instance, this is accomplished by supporting the rabbit 12 on an arm 26 which is constructed so that it is capable of swinging upwardly. That is to say, it may be attached by a pivot pin 27 to the lower end of the bracket 17. The bracket has a toe 28 which will support the arm 26 in a horizontal position. e rabbit 12 speeds along close to the ground line 29. 'Along the ground in the path of the arm 26, we provide abutments 3() at intervals along the path. As the rabbit speeds along, these abutments cause the arm. 26 to swing upwardly. This raises the body of the rabbit, after which the body falls again by. gravity to its normal level.

Y In order to facilitate the dismantling of the fence, the rails are preferably secured on the posts by means of counter-sunk It is understood that the embodiment vof the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and we do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in the claims, to the particularl embodiment set forth. v

What we claim is:

The i 1. In a mechanical dog racing apparatus, the combination ot a track in the form of a fence having a top rail, a carriage having wheels running on the top rail and having a bracket extending down on one' Vside of the fence, amotor supported on the said bracket, a wheel driven by the motor and running along the sideot' ,the track, said carriage having a bracket -extending down on the side .of the fence opposite to the lirst named car-V riage, and a dog lure'supported on the last named bracket. l

2. In a mechanical dog racing apparatus, the combination of a track in the form of a fence having a top rail, a carriage having wheels runningon the top r'ail and having a bracket extending down on yone side of the fence, a motor supported onv the said bracket, a wheel driven by the motor and running along the side ot the track, said carriage having a bracket extending down on the side oit the tence opposite to the iirst` named carl riage, a dog lure supported o'n the last named bracket, and means for lguiding the lower end of the last named bracket on the track. Y I l 3. In a mechanical dog racing apparatus, the combination of a track in the form of a fence having a top rail, a carriage having wheels running on the top rail `and' having a bracket extending down onone side of the fence, said track having a traction-rail on one side, a motor supported on thek said bracket, a wheel driven by the motor and running along the traction rail to drive vthe carriage, said 'carriage having a bracket extending down on the` opposite'side or the fence and having a guide roller, said track having a guide rail adjacent the roller for guiding the same, and a dog lure sup"- ported on thelast named bracket.

4. In a` mechanical dog racing apparatus, the combination of altrackfconsisting oif a fence having a plurality of removable posts with rails removably supported on the posts, a carriage having wheels running on' the top rail and having a bracket extending down on one side of the fence, a motor supported on the bracket, a wheel driven by the motor and running along the side Vof the track to drive the carriage, said carriage having a bracket extending down on the opposite side of the fence, and` a' 4dog lure supported on the last named bracket.

5. Ina mechanical dog racing apparatus, the combination of a track consisting of a fence having posts, means'for removably supporting thehposts on the ground, removable rails carried on the posts, a carriage the combination of a. track consisting of a fence having posts, a top rail, and a power rai] supported on said posts on one side, said track having a traction rail supported on the saine side as the power rail, said track having a guide rail supported on the other side, a carriage having wheels running on the top rail and having a bracket extending down on the side of the track having the power rail, an electric motor supported on the oarriage, a wheel lSupported on the carriage driven by the electric motor and running on the traction rail t0 drive the carriage brushes for taking the current to the motor from the power rail, saidv carriage having l5 Signed at Glendale, Calif., this 18th day 2" of March, 1927.

HAROLD F. WILSON. e ALBERT v. wILsoN. 

